When you talk to President Emeritus Joan Develin Coley and Trustee Emeritus M. Lee Rice ’48, two things immediately become apparent: their love for McDaniel College and their love for each other. From the Rice Gallery to Coley Rice Lounge, it’s only fitting that the couple who met here on the Hill have prioritized giving back to the place where their love story began. We chatted with the recipients of the 2024 Founders Award about their dedication to the college, their most recent gift to the Education Department in honor of a dear friend, and the legacy they hope to leave on the Hill.
Why is it important to you to continue to invest in McDaniel College?
LEE: McDaniel gave me a good start, graduating in 1948 after transferring and studying for two years here on the Hill. I also have a family history at the college, with my sister Ann Rice Jett graduating in 1944 and my cousin W. Kelley Rice and his wife, Eileen Weeks Rice, both graduating in 1949. Decades later, I was invited to serve on the Board of Trustees. I accepted in 1980, but I told them that I was too busy in New York in my career to attend meetings for a couple years, which was very true. I became much more active starting in 1982-83 once I struck out on my own as a consultant and remained an active trustee until 2005, when I was given emeritus status.
JOAN: Fundraising, which Lee has done a lot of and contributed mightily to, is critical to the life of a college. Tuition does not cover everything, and we need to enhance the endowment and get significant gifts from donors. We’re happy to contribute to that however we can.
What did it mean to the two of you to be named the recipients of the 2024 Founders Award?
LEE: I said in my speech that night that the college has always been important to me and to us as a couple. We are always grateful for what the college has given to us, and we’re especially grateful to be able to give back to the college.
JOAN: Philanthropy to the college has always been an important part of what we do. Lee has been philanthropic toward the college for more than 50 years. I’ve given as well, just not for 50 years yet!
LEE: And it’s not just about the philanthropic contributions. One of the most important things you can do is give back by volunteering your time with the college as well. There are a lot of things I was involved in over the years through my work on the board, which really is the managing foundation of the college. It’s important that we continue to recruit great people to the board and to the ranks of our volunteers.
JOAN: I was so glad that Lee could be there for the Founders Celebration. So many people came up to interact with him, people who hadn’t seen him for a long time. And I was just blown away by the video created with Ashley Day-Gibbs ’12, with her sharing the story about the pearl necklace I gave her when she was a student. The Founders Celebration and that honor was a high point for both of us. We enjoyed it immensely.
Let’s talk about your most recent gift to the college. Why did you decide to fund an Education lab and equipment named in honor of Professor Emeritus Skip Fennell?
JOAN: Skip Fennell is one of the most distinguished professors we’ve ever had on the Hill, so there was no doubt we wanted to honor him. When students and alumni from our Education programs think about major influences on their lives, Skip Fennell is always near the top of the list. Lee and I both wanted to acknowledge that fact and honor Skip for the incredible work he has done that has helped us produce so many excellent educators at McDaniel.
LEE: Skip was just a great friend to me and an incredible intellect who did a lot of work in developing new mathematical management and teaching programs. As a mathematician myself in my education and early career, what Skip accomplished was almost unbelievable. He’s a nationally known math educator and had — and continues to have — an impact way beyond the bounds of McDaniel College.
What legacy do you think you’re leaving behind on the Hill?
JOAN: Well, our names are there now in multiple places. Lee made a gift assisting the college in restoring Peterson Hall and naming the Esther Prangley Rice Gallery after his late first wife. We helped renovate and named Coley Rice Lounge together. And now we’re helping Skip Fennell to leave a mark on the college as well in a very tangible way.
LEE: I would like to be remembered as a good chair of the Board of Trustees from 1991-96. And I worked hard with my successor, Jim Melhorn, to convince Joan that she would be a great president. We succeeded and were proven absolutely correct. Her presidency is my proudest achievement at the college, and I was proud to be on the board during the name change and then to chair the Carpe Diem campaign under Joan’s presidency.
JOAN: I would certainly like to be remembered as the president who led the name change, which I know was a hard pill for a lot of people to swallow. But McDaniel represents us so much better and has allowed us to better support our educational programs by reaching a wider student body. And, hopefully, people remember me as a president who led the college well. What more could I ask for?
